Springfield, Ohio- On a beautiful fall afternoon at Edwards-Maurer field, the Wittenberg women's soccer team battled #15 Calvin and were able to come away with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the nationally ranked Knights.
With the win, the Tigers record moves to 1-2 overall, earning their first 2024 season and home win, while Calvin, which made it to the NCAA round of 16 during the 2023 season, drops to 1-1-1, suffering just its third loss in two years and first of the season.
In a hotly contested match, the Tigers were able to break through with 11 minutes to play, when senior Grace Koperna (Macedonia, OH/Nordonia) knocked the ball into the back of the net off an assist by junior Courtney Lindgren (Maineville, OH/Kings). Previous to the goal, Wittenberg had a corner kick opportunity, which kept the ball in Calvin's box and the offensive play of the Tigers led to Koperna's game-winning goal, which is also her first of the season.
Sophomore Lily Winkle (Cynthiana, KY/Harrison County) had a stellar game as she tallied three saves, two of them being in the last 60 seconds of the match to stave off Calvin's final attempts. Wittenberg's defensive unit was also solid throughout the contest and made numerous goal-saving plays.
In her eighth season at helm, Coach Katie Robinson's Wittenberg women's soccer teams have tied nationally ranked opponents, but this is believed to be Robinson's first-win over a nationally ranked team.
The Tigers look to carry their momentum into their next conference match, as they travel to Mount St. Joseph, on Tuesday, September 10th for a 7:30pm kick off.
Written By: Courtney Burchett